Meghan McCain joins 'The View' as new co-host, reveals question she'd ask President Trump
— -- ABC's "The View" has a new co-host: Meghan McCain.
McCain, the daughter of Arizona Sen. John McCain, joins Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines and Paula Faris for season 21.
She nabbed a seat at the table after the sudden departure of Jedediah Bila, the show's lone conservative panelist, last month.
"I’m a little bit on sensory overload," she told ABC News after her first show.
"It’s an incredible show to be joining. I’ve never joined a hit show," the former Fox News contributor added. "It's a luxury to be able to come onto something that already has such a big following."
John McCain was the first person to know about the new gig
McCain, 32, said on today's show that her father, who is battling a brain tumor, was the first person she told about the gig. She said she shared the news with him in the hospital.
"I said, 'What do you think of this?' And he said, 'Are you kidding? You have to do this,'" she recalled. "[My parents] are endlessly proud and excited."
In fact, Sen. McCain tweeted Monday in support of his daughter's first day on "The View."
"Watching @MeghanMcCain's first day on @TheView @ABC - we are very proud!" he wrote.
The younger McCain then gave an update on her father's health, saying he's been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.
"When you hear cancer, a nuclear explosion goes off in your life no matter who you are," she said. "I didn't realize...how intense and disruptive and scary and hopeless and chaotic you feel all day long."
McCain also called the "doctors and nurses and cancer researchers...the real heroes in my life."
What would McCain ask if President Trump stopped by "The View"?
The TV personality told ABC News that "it's always a challenge" to battle stereotypes of conservative women.
"In Trump's America it's an even bigger challenge," she said. "But I think that women need to know around the country that the media sometimes wants to act like all women live in big cities, are pro choice and don't want to carry guns. And where I'm from, that's not the case at all."
McCain quipped that by sitting in her chair on "The View" she hopes to "be the Jane Goodall of red America and explain my people to 'The View.'"
But what if President Trump, who's openly criticized her father for not supporting Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, came on the show? Does McCain have one question she'd have to ask?
"Gosh, there's so many! Are we going to war with North Korea?" she said.
Still, McCain said she hopes her presence on "The View" will encourage conservative-leaning guests to come on the show and offer their perspective.
"I hope that Trump and other conservative guests feel a little safer here with me here," she noted. "Because I know there have been requests out to conservative politicians and they're not saying yes and I hope I can change that."
